Tile and fixture display apparatus



Aug. m, i935. N, C, BUTLER 2m 1,543

TILE AND FIXTURE DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed July l5, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet lattorney Aug. 29,1935. N, Q BUTLER 2,0L843 TILE AND FIXTURE DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed Juiy 15, 1954 5 sheets-sheet 2 y Aug., m, w35., N. C. BUTLERk www TILE AND FIXTURE DISPLAY APPARATUS Filed July 15, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 NOBLE C. BU n: ER.

Patented Aug. 2G, 1935 t STATES 2,011,843 TILE AND FIXTURE DSPLAZ APPARATUS Noble C..Butler, Anderson, Ind., assigner. to The National 'Eile Company, Anderson, ind., a corporation Application July 13, 1934, Serial No. 735,013@

11 Claims.

InH the` selling'V of tile used on walls of bathrooms,- kitchensgand'in similar places, it is desirabl'eitoi providek convenient means or apparatus'iorthe purpose oi?v readily displaying difier- 5 ent colors oftile and/or different styles or colors of fixtures that may harmonize with the tile, for facilitating the selection of the tiles and fixtures'thatare tobe built into the room or other structure.A v f Theprimary objectof the presentinvention has been to devise an apparatus' ci the above kind.

While the apparatus of my invention may be made in' miniature for convenience in handling and" for carrying from place to place, in which 15 eventeither full size or miniature sizes of tiles and iixtures mayV be employed, the invention is equally adapted for use in large size kdisplays and'the' latter wouldV be used especially in exhibition places.

In the carryingV out of' my invention I have designedadisplay apparatus wherein a relatively large number of color combinations can beemployed by the use of. tiles of different colorsV mounted on a suitable baseor support, with certain of the tiles shiftable relatively'to the others sof as `to bringk into displayed relation the different colors of the tiles and thus enable a person to selectthe'color combinations of the tiles which `most appeal to his artistic taste. In like manner when the apparatus of the invention is built with display members in imitation of xtures such as maybe used' in the bathroom, kitchen or elsewhere, such. xtures may be of di'ferent'colors tov4 imitate the realistic colors of vmetal or porcelain fixtures, and the fixture display members may likewise be movably supported and thus are adaptedto.- be shifted into displayed relation to the differently colored tiles that will go to makeup, for instance, vthe cap section, base section, and eld section of wainscot such as'may be provided., in atile bathroom or other room ior l compartment. Indeed, the invention is adaptable to aconstruction for the display ofwainscot that might run from the base of va room or a fir compartment to the ceiling, asthe principle of the inventionis fully adaptable to such a use.

Generally summarized, my invention com@ prises a suitable supporting base equipped with aplurality ofrela'tively movable tile sections together with an associated primary or display shield equipped'with a display opening through which portions of the saidl tile sections may be viewed when they are arranged indifferentre# lations or combinations of colors Also, there is preferably `provide'da secondary or cut-off shield whereby to cover the main bodies of thev different sections Yof tiles which are noty to be 'dis'- played through the displayl opening ofthe said display shield. The said display shield-ismov- 'able at times to certain` positions'by reason ci.' 5

the peculiar construction employed, in whichp'ositions, were itnot for the cuteoifshield, certain portions of the tile sections wouldbe exposed to View, tending' to confuse -the user and viewergof the saiddisplay apparatus. n v

My invention involves other detailed* features of construction and arrangement of parts, the purpose o which will be more fully apparent as thisV description proceeds, andan understand- V ing of the display apparatus voi myv invention, dis :f5 closed'in several modifications orforms; maybev upon reference to the accompanying drawings vIn which--y Y .Ligure l is a perspective View of a simpliied embodiment ci .my invention, cut away and 20 yshown in section at one end and having the display and cut-ofi shields broken away near vthe. opposite end to show'more clearly the tile normally underneath or behind the same.

Figure 2 is a iront elevation of' the apparatus oi 'Figure l, showing the display shield ad,- justed to exhibit portions of the cap, field, and base sections of the tile, and showing vthe cutoff shield adjusted to cover or hide certainpart's 'o these sections that would otherwise be re- 30' vealedv byk reason of the .adjustment of the' display shield the rightward position shown in the gure. ,y

Figure 3 is a sectionalview showing thelbase or back member of the shield', the top and bottom 35 fihishingand guide members for the apparatus,

the cap and base tile sections.

Figure l is a view similar to ligure 3'but showing the eld or movable tile section which is adapted to operate betweenthe` cap and base 0' tile sections of Figure 3'.

Figure 5 is a perspective View, also in section, at the left-hand end `illustrating insornewhat the same manner as .Figure l", al modiiied forni of the apparatus wherein the severalv tile sec- 4tions are associated with a fixture display. section provided withV a series "of preierablyj differently colored fixture members that are adapted to be brought to view onev at a time at the'ex.- u hibitopemng and thus placed in a related,` real.'- 50 istie association with` the 'tile sections, vthe ap.- paratus for this purposev being providedv with Y a special space between thetile setcions andthe shields in which space the fixture display 'secff g `tion'is disposed. W

ist'k Figure 6 is a sectional view taken about on the line S-'G of Figure 5.

Figure 7 is a front elevation of a modified form of the invention wherein the fixture display is carried in part by the display shield.

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional view taken on the line 8 8 of Figure 7.

Figure 9 is a view of the construction illustrated in Figure 2 with the shields removed and disclosing the manner in which the tile sections may be shifted relatively to one another to bring different colors of tiles forming parts of said sections into view at the display opening.

Figure 10 is a horizontal, longitudinal section taken on the line Ill-I0 of Figure 2.

Figure 11 is a fragmentary perspective view bringing out a little more clearly the construction of the xture display section showing one of the fixtures mounted thereon in association lso as to be readily and cheaply manufactured Vand yet afford considerable facility of adjustment of the parts to give varied display effects as regards the color combinations of the tiles.

VI provide a base A equipped at its upper and lower Vedges with outstanding strips which act as guidemembers I, and between the said meinbers l are disposed the tile sections 2, 3, and 4. TheV tile section 2 is a cap section having in view the display purposes of the invention, the section 4 is a base section, and the section 3 is a field section, these sections having tiles in imitation of those which might be provided in many different places such as bathrooms, kitchens and the like; Preferably, the various tiles of each of the above sections will be of different colors, certain of the colors of the tiles of one section, however, corresponding with those of the others.

As one preferred means of assembling the sections 2, 3, and 4 upon the base A, I provide a fixed attachment strip 2a secured suitably to the base for thel section 2, a similar fixed attachment strip 4a secured to the base for the section 4, and a movable attachment strip 3a slidable on the base A and carrying the tiles of the field section 3. The tiles of the cap section 2 project slightly downward beyond the strip 2a and the tiles of the section 4 project slightly up- Wardly beyond the xed strip 4a of this section, thereby providing guide grooves 5 and 6 established by the projecting tiles and' in which the upper and lower edges of the movable strip 3a for the field section 3 is adapted to operate or slide, as quite evident from Figures 3 and 4 of the drawings.

The parts which act as shielding members are the display shield 1 and theY cut-off shield 8, these parts being largely of the same general dimensions and distinguished only in that the body of the cut-off shield is solid or un-interrupted Whilst the body of the display shield is provided with a display opening designated S,.

the apparatus.

a centralized position will cause exposure of certain of the tile members of the parts 2, 3, and 4 near the ends of the base A unless provision is made otherwise. Since the person viewing the apparatus might become confused by the exposure of tiles of different colors adjacent to those exhibited at the display opening 9, I preferably use the cut-oil shield 8 previously mentioned, by which, as shown in Figure 2,'for instance, when the shield 1 is adjusted-in a iightward direction, the shield 8 may cover the tiles that would otherwise be exposed at the left end of the base A, all in a manner clearly seen from the drawings. In the arrangement of the parts in Figure 3 at the display lopening S are visible portions of the cap and base section tiles which may be of the same color or different colors, and the tiles of the field section 3 may be of another color as desired by the person observing disposition of the field section 3 adjusted to the rightV in relation to the cap and base sections, as to, Figure 9 (with the shields removed) and a similar adjustment of the parts in Figure l10 but with the shields adjusted as shown yin Figure 2. o'

It is possible in the employment of my invention'to extend its usefulness by providing iixture members l!) carried by a xture display section l l as shown in Figures 5 and 6. The fixture members HJ may be miniature b'uiltiixture imitating parts, as for instance inthe presentcase imitatons'cf a porcelain lavatory.. I provide on the lixture display section i i which consists of a strip bers which may take different forms but in the present case are miniature'imitations of porcelain lavatory basins. Each of the fixture meinbers l may have small elements l2 in imitation of faucets, to give realism to the display. The section Il will slide infront of the field section 3 as seen in Figures 5 and 6,and' the fixture mem'- bers Ill willbe attached or aliixed tothe part H in any substantial way. Now of course it would be possible to use a fixturev member ill in imitation of a refrigerator or in imitation of a cabinet such as disposed adjacent to a sink or 'a wall cabinet'such Vas used for holding kitchen utensils, sothatconsiderable latitude is allowed" in this manner.

In Figure 5 the field section or panel may be built up of miniature tiles ifrdesired, asis illustrated at 3b,Y or animitation of miniature tiles may be resorted to. Of course in the construction 'of Figures' 5 and 6 the' shields tand Y employed, butin this modification4 the'said shields attachment strip Sa'which carries the tiles of the field section. VIn this construction the display shield l has the desired display opening S previously referred to, and in addition thereto said shield has a secondary display opening .designated 9a. On the outer surface of the shield l, below the opening S, therezmay be providedan illustration of a .lavatory basin l5, and this illustration may be made by printingdirectly ruponthe Figures 9 and 10 illustrate the Y venient manner.

shield,.or` it isl possiblev to apply to the shieldv a metallic member removably connectedtherewith. Ifrm'etallic members areused, they may-'be providedin different colorsfanddetachably engaged withthe shield atthelower openingglir'ranycon.- The auxiliary tile sectionl I3 comes 'into play in the apparatus of` Figures 7L and Smythe'adjuStment ofthe different colored tiles thereofiopposite -the opening 9 so as to render visible aiportion of said4 tiles, as seen inFigure 7, whichzgivesthe appearance of the upper portion orf'top` of the imitation fixtureindiciaor member .1.53. Thus, inFigure 7 therelis shown one ofthe tiles of the cap section, a tilejof the iieldy section, afportion of the tilefof the auxiliary tileV section I3,;and throughthe openingA 3a at the bottomof the shield `'I there `becomes visible a-portionoflthe base sectionlt. By the above arrangement and bysuitable manipulation ofthe parts as .described afyery realistic ensemble ofA colored tiles making up a section of a Wainscot and even imitating the fixture that may be desired to match vthetiling of .the wainscot, may be obtained.

i' The -appalatusesof the modiled'construction as .hereinbeforeset forth may be cheaply constructed, `aiording a very. handy sales apparatus for. the'displa-y of. diierent. colored effects in `tile color. combinations, and. said apparatus, being portable, can. be used either in miniature or in fullsize for diiTerent kinds of exhibiting purposes. 'Ifhetiley sectionsZ, 3 4 and i3 are in reality display sections. i

Thenx'ture members. l. are guided in their movement to bev maintained in proper positions relative to the tile sections by contact of theLstrip orpart H with the section 3, and engagement of: the lower endsv of the members IEB with. the upper side 'of the lower guide member I.

Iiii'sfto` be understood that I use the expressions display sections and tile sections herein, and in my claims, in a generally comprehensivesense of included equivalency of structure, for the ,members 2, 3 and 4 might readily be brick sections of different tapestry brick imitation, or panel sections of different wainscot structures, or they might carry paper in imitation of wall papers, etc.

Having thus described my invention,v what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent oi the United States, is

Il. In tile display apparatus, in combination, a base, a plurality of tile display sections thereon including a section movable relatively to the other sections, said other sections being secured to said base, guide members carried by the base, and a display shield movable on the guide members and over the said display'sections and having a display opening for exposing to view portions of the tiles of said sections.

2. In tile display apparatus, in combination, a base, a plurality of tile display sections thereon A including a section movable relatively to the other base, a plurality of tile display sections thereon including a section movable relatively to the other sections, guide Vmembers carried by the base,

a displayy 'shieldl moyablefon the' guidev members and" over the Vsaid display sections andi-having a= display opening for' exposing tol View portions ofthe tilesof said sections, anda displayfxture section interposedbetweenrthe displayfshield and ing ay plurality of'diierently colorediixture-members-adapted to be exposed-to `viewat saiddisplay Opening. Y

5; 'InfY tile display' apparatus, in combination,` a base,l a plurality offtilesections thereony including a'section movable relatively to the other sections; .guide members carried by the base, 'display shieldmovable'on the guide members andover'th'e said tile Vsections and having a display opening for. exposing tofview portions of the tiles of saidfsec tions, a cut-off shieldcooperating with the-dis-V play. shield for Yshutting off from view the ApartsY of` the vtile sections which would be exposed at points other than at the display' opening byadiustments of 'the'.display shield, the said guide members be ing equipped with guide grooves facing each-other and receiving oppositeA edges of thevsaid shields, and saidshields` being spaced from the tile sec# tions,v and aV display xture section' comprisingfa'- plurality of xture menfibersarrangedl t'o operate insaid spaceprov-ided 'betweenthe shields and tile sections and adapted to be exposed at the display opening.

6. In tile display apparatus, in combination, a base, a plurality of display sections of diierent colored tiles and including a section movable relatively to the other sections, guide members carried by the base, a display shield movable onv the guide members and over the said dislay sections and having a `display opening for exposing to View portions of the tiles of said sections, and a display fixture section interposed between the display shield and the display sections and comprising a plurality of differently colored fixture members adapted to be exposed to view at said display opening, the display fixture section including a strip of material supporting the xture members and movable in contact with one of the display sections.

7. In tile display apparatus, in combination, a base, a plurality of tile display sections thereon including a section movable relatively to the other sections, guide members carried by the base, a display shield movable on the guide members and over the said display sections and having ar display opening forexposing to View portions oi the tiles of said sections, a cut-oft shield cooperating with the display shield for shutting oir from view the parts of the display sections which would be exposed at points other than at the display opening by adjustments of the display shield, and

means in imitation of a display fixture and associated with the display sections of the base.

8. In a display device of the class described, a ilat panel base having guide channels along at least two edges thereof, display sections secured to said base simulating various-cap, eld, and

Iii

base tile associations, the edges of which are received in the guide channels, and a display shield having its edges also received in said guide channels and disposed in front of said display sections,- said shield being slidable over said displaysectionsrto selective positions andhaving a display opening therein through which a particular cap, field, and base tile association may-be observed.

9. Ina, display device of the class described, a

flatpanelbase having guide channels along at least two ,edges thereof., display sections secured to said base simulating various cap, eld, and base tile associations, the edges of which are re-` ceived in the guide channels, a display 'shield having its edges also received in said guide channels and disposed in front of said display sections, said shieldbeing slidable over said display sections to selective positions and having a display opening therein throughY which a particular cap, field, and base tile association may be observed, and a second imperforate shield complementary to the rst disposed in overlapping relation to-said display shield and movable relatively thereto in said guide lchannels so as to cut ofi fromfview other parts 0iY said display sections whichrotherwise would beeexposed at points other .than at the display opening inv certain positions of the display shield.- l' Y s l.

r 10. In a display device of the class described, a nat panel base having guide channels along at least two edges thereof, display sections secured to said base simulating various cap, field, and base tile associations, the edges ofv which are received in the guide channels, a display shield having its edges also received .in said guide channels and disposed in front of said display sections, said shield being slidable over said` display sections to selective positions and `having a display opening therein through which a particular cap, field,

and base tile association may be observed,va second imperforate shield complementary to the rst disposed in overlapping relation to said display shield and movable relatively thereto in said 'guide channels so as to cut olf from View other parts of said display sections which otherwise would be exposed at points other than at; the display opening in certain positions of the display shield, and a series of Vminiature fixture pieces slidably mounted intermediate said shields and said display sections for selective adjustment. into positions where they can be observed through saiddisplay shield opening in association with said display sections. s 11. InY a display device of the class described, a `ilat panel base having guide channels Valong at least two edges thereof., display sections secured to said base simulating various cap, field, and base tile associations, the edges of which are received in the guide channelsa display shield having its edges also received in said guide channels and disposed in front of said display sections, said shield being slidable over said display sections to selective positions and having a displayopening therein through which a particular cap, field, and base tile association may be observed, .a second imperforate shield complementary to the rst disposed in overlapping relation to said display shield and movable relatively thereto in said guide channels so as to .cut off from view other parts of said display sections which otherwise would be exposed at points other than at thedisplay opening .in certain positions of the display shield, and a miniature fixture piece carried by said display shield so as to ocoupy'a position representing the normal relation to the cap, field, and base tile'associationsV exposed through the display opening.

NOBLE C. BUTLER,V 

